In today's environmentally conscious society, the disposal of all types of potentially harmful waste material is of critical importance. This includes the waste disposal of residual, uncured, concrete material from construction sites. Such concrete material is primarily found in and on the concrete trucks and mixers which are used for the preparation and delivery of concrete to the sites. During the course of their operation, these trucks and mixers become covered with residual concrete which must be removed before it hardens. Removal is normally accomplished by applying high pressure water onto the equipment to wash off the uncured concrete. Harden concrete waste which is removed poses little threat and can easily be disposed of without environmental damage. However, the resultant water/concrete mixture runoff, if left unattended, will seep into the ground and pollute the soil, surrounding groundwater, plants and animals, and generally effect the immediate and adjacent areas.
To address this potential environmental problem, washout waste containers are now commonly used to collect residual concrete waste water and other concrete waste material. An example of such a washout container is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,118,633. After concrete trucks and associated tools are treated with high pressure water from appropriate hoses, all residual concrete waste, including excess and uncured concrete, concrete slag and debris, and washout water, are emptied into a washout container. The concrete fluid waste is pumped out and disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner, in accordance with recognized governmental environmental standards. When sufficient solid waste material has been collected, it is dumped out of the container so that it can be crushed for recycling purposes or otherwise disposed of without harm to the environment.
However, as a washout container is filled with concrete waste and concrete fluid washout, there is a very real risk that during the loading of this waste and fluid washout into the container, the washout will overflow the container, spilling onto the ground and causing the very contamination which the use of the container is designed to prevent. There is currently no simple, yet effective means to address this significant, yet very common problem.